What is the best possible secondary you could build around zone defense.

GGerz said:

I run big nickel and this is my set up…
 

FS - Peppers (DZKO, Pick Artist) = 1 ap

SS - Bo (DZKO, Pick Artist) = 1 ap

CB1 - Porter (DZKO, FZKO, Pick Artist) = 2

CB2 - Mills (DZKO, FZKO, Pick Artist) = 2

Slot - CarMichael (Mid Zone, DZKO) = 2

Non User LB - Derwin (DZKO, Pick Artist) = 1

this set up allows myself to play match (uses zone kos), cover 2, inverted cover 3.  Allows my scheme to be flexible in all areas of the field.

One minor tweak, Tip Drill is 'baked in' for 0 AP in Slot 1.

Slot - CarMichael (Tip Drill, Mid Zone, DZKO) = 2

Maybe EA really wanted us to pick DZKO instead of Pick Artist in Slot 5. 😉

Grindfather479 said:

The Deion card gets tons of sacks for me as well and seems to pick off everything. I really want to add Carmichael to my secondary, but not sure where to move Deion?

I currently have Megatron, Slay, Woodson, & have considered moving Ed Reed to CB as well.

I pretty much only use Deion at SlotCB2 in dollar formations. He‘s so outdated now but he gets so many sacks for me. I honestly would recommend Champ Bailey or Antonio Cromartie over Carmichael if you can afford either of them. They have been the best two corners for me on the outside.

I have 1.5ish mill, and my corners are currently:

Denzel Ward Pick artist Deep route ko

Trevon Diggs pick artist Deep out ko

Slot: Jason Verett pick artist

User: Kyle Hamilton pick artist

FS: Ed Reid Acrobat

SS 2: Hufanga Tip Drill

FS 2: Myles Hartsfield

Sub LB 2: Minkah

I run Nickel 3-3 and 3-3 cub along with some Dollar entirely zone, I was hoping for a SS set legend in the final drop to use my BND on, but I might just get Tracy then, any idea on what I should do?

Henry, the best Madden player in the world, switched up his defense from man defense, to zone defense, but staying in his 33 Cub. He had Calvin and Carmichael at FS and SS. Verrett, Woodson and Porter as his CBs. All with Deep Zone, and then everyone else but Porter had Mid Zone, whereas Porter had flat zone.

GGerz said:

No problem. if you want a break down and why, let me know. No problem helping people get a scheme started.

Im down

my set up consist of 4 down line schemes w/ base align

some players are out of position

hendricks 4 AP

Carmichael 4 AP

woolen pick Artist 1 ap

Buckner run stopper and inside stuff for 1 ap

peppers 1 ap

Calvin at  strong safety 1 ap

Dunlap and Gregory 0 ap speedster

kinda waiting for some cards to drop for better rush but they force some sacks and picks

theoriginalkbgames33 said:

my set up consist of 4 down line schemes w/ base align

some players are out of position

hendricks 4 AP

Carmichael 4 AP

woolen pick Artist 1 ap

Buckner run stopper and inside stuff for 1 ap

peppers 1 ap

Calvin at  strong safety 1 ap

Dunlap and Gregory 0 ap speedster

kinda waiting for some cards to drop for better rush but they force some sacks and picks

I love that Buckner card, he’s a solid card. Perfect pair with Sapp

speltzerr said:

Im down

First thing first… turn on match and don’t adjust zone drops.
 

As we know… this game has a heavy tight meta. Stopping this scheme is key to winning more games. Cover 2 and adjusting into a inverted cover 2 (IC2) is a great counter to these schemes. IC2 is basically putting your safeties into outside thirds and putting a sub LB into a middle third. Standard for a cover 2 scheme, the outside thirds prevent those go balls and help with corners

Having Flat Zone KO on both outside corners in combo with the safeties having Deep Out Zone KO allows for those pesky corner routes to be broken up due the tight window with two players breaking on the routes. Having FZKO takes away those quick balls into the flats.

Dropping a sub LB with Deep Out Zone KO into a middle third will guard the middle third of the field. A middle third doesn’t get confused against the streak in pa cross. Deep Out Zone KO works outside the hashes while deep in is always between,  basically playing the field percentage game.

The deep out zone ko on both my outside corners allow me to make adjustments to my stock cover 2 shell, play match, and quarters.

Playing match which relies on zone abilities is hard to explain to various rules and checks that occur.

right know with the house rules, this is the perfect time to just try zone out. Getting use to adjustments and understanding the counters that you have to make to thoses attacking you

I play a 50/50 man-zone mix and have:

Haynes and Champ outside w/ Revis in the slot

Just picked up Harrison to replace Lynch at SS and Peppers at FS.  Peppers gets so many picks on deep balls and his agility doesn't get exposed.

Then fill out the back 7 with Thomas Davis and Reed at sub lb

GGerz said:

First thing first… turn on match and don’t adjust zone drops.
 

As we know… this game has a heavy tight meta. Stopping this scheme is key to winning more games. Cover 2 and adjusting into a inverted cover 2 (IC2) is a great counter to these schemes. IC2 is basically putting your safeties into outside thirds and putting a sub LB into a middle third. Standard for a cover 2 scheme, the outside thirds prevent those go balls and help with corners

Having Flat Zone KO on both outside corners in combo with the safeties having Deep Out Zone KO allows for those pesky corner routes to be broken up due the tight window with two players breaking on the routes. Having FZKO takes away those quick balls into the flats.

Dropping a sub LB with Deep Out Zone KO into a middle third will guard the middle third of the field. A middle third doesn’t get confused against the streak in pa cross. Deep Out Zone KO works outside the hashes while deep in is always between,  basically playing the field percentage game.

The deep out zone ko on both my outside corners allow me to make adjustments to my stock cover 2 shell, play match, and quarters.

Playing match which relies on zone abilities is hard to explain to various rules and checks that occur.

right know with the house rules, this is the perfect time to just try zone out. Getting use to adjustments and understanding the counters that you have to make to thoses attacking you

Do you still put your outside corners on soft squats or put them on different adjustments?

speltzerr said:

Do you still put your outside corners on soft squats or put them on different adjustments?

I keep my outside corners in clouds, I want them to have first step back to help out with any corner route that is over their head

SlowAndSteady said:

I play 99% zone and have been all year.

I have Peppers at FS and Bo at SS and anytime I’ve tried switching them out with somebody else I get burned like crazy.

The best CB’s I’ve used are Cromartie, Champ Bailey, and Charles Woodson. Carmichael has been really good in the slot and surprisingly Deion is a great slot blitzer. Idk why but he gets more sacks there than anyone else I’ve used.

I've also noticed Carmichael is great at slot. Jumps every ball and rarely gets burned.

GGerz said:

I run big nickel and this is my set up…
 

FS - Peppers (DZKO, Pick Artist) = 1 ap

SS - Bo (DZKO, Pick Artist) = 1 ap

CB1 - Porter (DZKO, FZKO, Pick Artist) = 2

CB2 - Mills (DZKO, FZKO, Pick Artist) = 2

Slot - CarMichael (Mid Zone, DZKO) = 2

Non User LB - Derwin (DZKO, Pick Artist) = 1

this set up allows myself to play match (uses zone kos), cover 2, inverted cover 3.  Allows my scheme to be flexible in all areas of the field.

So how are you setting up your substitutions before going out because Im having my backup hendricks going in and have been replacing him with carmichael is that what you typically do or am I completely misunderstanding

ppvoxals said:

So how are you setting up your substitutions before going out because Im having my backup hendricks going in and have been replacing him with carmichael is that what you typically do or am I completely misunderstanding

Yeah, you're going to have manually sub players in. In big nickel, the slot defender is naturally SS1 with SS2 play the deep safety and things can become weird due to lineup. I can't really tell you your subs cause that's based around your individual lineup. I made my lineup easy, where I only have to make two subs.

Best advice is set up your line up on a team builder so you know where you want your players and then going into practice mode and practice subbing in so it becomes second nature.